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Crockpot Pork Loin Roast with Potatoes (Garlic Herb)

This crockpot pork loin roast with potatoes is the easy Sunday-dinner kind of roast, without heating up the oven. A boneless pork loin gets a garlic and herb rub, sits on a bed of baby potatoes and onion, and cooks low and slow until it slices clean and juicy.

The potatoes cook in the pork juices underneath, so the whole dinner comes out of one pot. The one thing that matters with pork loin is not cooking it too long. It is a lean cut, so it does not get more tender the longer it goes the way a pork shoulder does. It gets dry. This recipe takes it out at 145F, and that is what keeps it juicy.

What you need

• A boneless pork loin roast, 3 to 4 pounds. The wide, thick roast, usually with a thin fat cap on one side. Not pork tenderloin, which is a much smaller, thinner cut (more on that below).
• Baby potatoes, halved, and a yellow onion, cut into thick slices. They make a rack for the roast and soak up everything that drips down.
• Dijon mustard and fresh garlic, plus dried rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper for the rub.
• A little chicken broth and butter for the pan juices.

Pork loin vs pork tenderloin

They sound alike but cook very differently. A pork loin is a big, wide roast, usually 2 to 5 pounds, and it slices like a roast. A pork tenderloin is a long, thin muscle around 1 pound, and it cooks in about half the time. If you have a tenderloin, use our Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin recipe instead, which has the right timing for it.

Should you sear it first?

You don’t have to. The roast cooks through just fine without it. Searing the fat side in a hot pan for a few minutes gives you a browned crust and deeper flavor in the juices, so if you have 5 extra minutes, it is worth doing. The recipe card has it as an optional step.

How long to cook pork loin in the crockpot

On LOW, plan on 4 to 5 hours for a 3 to 4 pound roast. Start checking with an instant-read thermometer at the 3 1/2 hour mark, in the thickest part of the roast. Take it out at 145F, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest 10 minutes before slicing. It will be slightly pink in the middle, and that is the USDA’s safe temperature for whole cuts of pork.

LOW is the better setting for this roast. HIGH works (about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours), but the outside cooks faster than the middle and there is less room before it dries out.

If the roast is done before the potatoes are tender, lift the roast out to rest and give the potatoes another 20 to 30 minutes on HIGH. They will be ready by the time you finish slicing.

Easy ways to change it up

• Mississippi style: skip the salt, herbs and mustard. Sprinkle the roast with 1 packet of ranch dressing mix and 1 packet of brown gravy mix, set 4 tablespoons of butter and 5 or 6 pepperoncini on top, and cook it the same way. It is the same idea as a Mississippi pot roast, on a leaner cut.
• With sauerkraut: pork and sauerkraut is a New Year’s Day tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Our Happy New Year Pork Dinner does it with sauerkraut, apples and brown sugar.
• Add carrots: tuck 4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces, in with the potatoes.
• Make gravy: strain the juices into a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water until it thickens.

Questions people ask

Why is my pork loin dry or tough?
Almost always because it cooked too long. Pork loin is lean, so it goes from juicy to dry in the last hour. Check the temperature early and take it out at 145F. Slicing it thin, against the grain, helps too.

Can I put a frozen pork loin in the crockpot?
No. Thaw it in the fridge first. The USDA advises against slow cooking frozen meat, because it spends too long in the unsafe temperature range.

Do I need to add liquid?
Only a little. Half a cup of broth is plenty. The roast and the onion release their own juices, and too much liquid just boils the meat.

Can I shred pork loin for pulled pork?
You can cook it long enough to shred, but it comes out drier than real pulled pork. For pulled pork, use a pork shoulder, like our Crockpot Pulled Pork. For a fall-apart roast with potatoes and gravy, try our Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder.

What do I do with leftovers?
Slice it thin for sandwiches, or warm the slices gently in a covered pan with a splash of the juices. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Can I make it in the Instant Pot instead?
Yes. Our Instant Pot Pork Loin has the timing for a pressure cooker.

More recipes you’ll love: Smothered Crock Pot Pork Chops, Crockpot Chuck Roast, and our full Easy Crockpot Dinner Recipes roundup.

Crockpot Pork Loin Roast with Potatoes

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• Author: Fluffy
• Total Time: 4 hours 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

A garlic herb pork loin slow cooked on a bed of baby potatoes and onion, pulled at 145F so it slices juicy, never dry. One pot, about 15 minutes of hands-on time.

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Ingredients

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• 3 to 4 pound boneless pork loin roast
• 2 pounds baby potatoes, halved
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into thick slices
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch for the potatoes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (only if searing)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Chopped fresh parsley, to serve

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Instructions

1. Spread the potatoes and onion slices over the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pour the broth over them.
2. Pat the pork loin dry. Stir the mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme together and rub it all over the roast.
3. Optional: heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the roast, fat side first, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Set the roast fat side up on top of the potatoes and onion. Cut the butter into pieces and set it on top of the roast.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours (or HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours). Start checking at 3 1/2 hours on LOW with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part.
6. When the roast reaches 145F, lift it onto a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and rest 10 minutes. If the potatoes are not fork tender yet, cover and cook them on HIGH while the roast rests.
7. Slice the roast against the grain about 1/2 inch thick.
8. Serve the slices with the potatoes and onion, spoon the juices over the top and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

• Pork loin, not tenderloin. A 1 pound tenderloin cooks much faster and will dry out with this timing.
• Mississippi style: skip the salt, herbs and mustard. Use 1 packet of ranch dressing mix, 1 packet of brown gravy mix, 4 tablespoons of butter and 5 or 6 pepperoncini.
• Carrots: add 4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces, with the potatoes.
• Gravy: strain the juices into a saucepan, simmer, and stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water until thick.
• Use a thawed roast, never frozen.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat slices gently, covered, with a splash of the juices.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

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